Easy Lemon Butterfly Cakes

Name: Easy Lemon Butterfly Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 190 g Softened butter; 190 g Caster sugar; 3 Medium Eggs; 190 g Self-raising flour; Zest 1 Lemon; 160 g Softened butter; 300 g Icing sugar ((plus more for dusting)); 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon Lemon zest

Jump to Recipe

These lemon butterfly cakes are easy to make and perfect for baking with kids. They're great for birthday parties, afternoon tea or any other occasion that requires cake!

lemon butterfly cakes in yellow cupcake cases

We're taking it back to basics today with these adorable retro lemon butterfly cakes! They're cute, they're kid-friendly and they're super easy to make. Even if you don't have any baking experience, I hope that this post can help you to get these right on the first try.

For detailed instructions, notes and tips, keep on reading. Or if you prefer the quick, condensed version of the recipe, you can find it in the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make lemon butterfly cupcakes:

Butter: When baking, it's best to soften your butter before beginning to make it easier to mix. You can do this by letting it sit out at room temperature for 60 minutes or you can microwave it for 10-15 seconds. Just be careful not to melt it!
Sugar: I recommend using caster sugar for baking because it will give your cupcakes the best texture. This type of sugar can also be called superfine sugar.
Eggs: You'll need 3 medium eggs for this recipe. If you're using smaller eggs, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk to loosen the batter if needed.
Flour: I like to use self-raising flour when baking because it's super convenient and means you don't need to add any baking powder separately. If you don't have any to hand, you can use all-purpose flour then add 2 teaspoons of baking powder too.
Lemons: You'll need the zest of 1 lemon (plus a little bit extra for the topping) and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Make sure to use unwaxed lemons for this recipe.
Icing sugar: The last ingredient is icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar, for the lemon buttercream and to dust on top for decoration.

Equipment

Aside from the ingredients, you'll also need the following tools for your lemon fairy cakes:

Food scale: Cups are handy for measuring but when it comes to baking, the weight is more important to ensure accuracy. Always use a digital food scale for best results.
Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake mix and a smaller one for the buttercream.
Utensils: A wooden spoon and a couple of smaller spoons.
Grater: To get the lemon zest!
Cupcake tin and cases: You'll need a 12-hole cupcake tin and 12 paper cases. I think yellow cases look so cute with lemon fairy cakes!
Serrated knife: To cut the tops off of the cupcakes once they've cooled.
Piping bag and nozzle: This is not totally necessary but piping the buttercream on makes them look that extra bit fancy. You can also just spread it on using a teaspoon if you like.

plate with 3 lemon butterfly fairy cakes on it

How to make lemon butterfly cakes

So let's get to it, shall we?! Here's how to make these cute lemon butterfly fairy cakes...

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens). Line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cases.

Step 2: In a large bowl, cream 190g of softened butter and 190g of caster sugar together.

butter and sugar creamed together in a bowl

Step 3: Stir in 3 eggs and 190g of self-raising flour, a little bit at a time. Once it's all mixed in, you should have a smooth but thick cake mix.

Step 4: Stir the zest of 1 whole lemon into the cake mix. Then divide the mix between your 12 cupcake cases.

Step 5: Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set them aside on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Once your cupcakes are cold, carefully cut the tops off using a serrated knife. Cut each top in half, and set aside them aside with the matching cupcake.

Step 7: Prepare your lemon buttercream filling by mixing together 160g softened butter, 300g icing sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. It's easiest if you stir the icing sugar into the butter a little bit at a time.

Step 8: Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe a swirl onto the centre of each cupcake. Alternatively, you can spread it blob on using a teaspoon.

Step 9: Stick the two halves of the tops onto each cupcake with the straight side facing down. Then just dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Top tips for the perfect butterfly cupcakes

Use a serrated knife to cut the tops off of the cupcakes. Don't worry if it's not super neat, they will still look like cute butterfly fairy cakes by the end!
Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to swirl the lemon buttercream onto the cupcakes if you can. This will make them look neater.
Use a deep cupcake tin or muffin tin such as this one for the best cupcake shape. This will help them to bake taller, making it easier to cut off the tops.
If your cake mix is too thick, you can add a splash of milk to help loosen it.

FAQ

How long will lemon butterfly cakes last?

These should last for 3-4 days. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the fridge.

Can I freeze them?

You sure can. Pop your butterfly cupcakes into airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month. When you're ready to eat them, let them sit at room temperature for an hour or two until fully thawed. Do not refreeze.

What's the difference between fairy cakes and butterfly cakes?

They are essentially the same thing. The tops are cut in half and stuck on with icing to look like butterfly or fairy wings, hence the name(s). Mini cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes too. The most common types are plain, iced and chocolate chip.

More cupcake recipes:

I hope you have fun making these lemon butterfly cakes! If you find this post useful, please share it with a friend using the share buttons on this page. Enjoy!